# How many countries have age requirements for their head of state / head of government? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 10, 2019, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629 "2019-12-10T01:59:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/1 "2019-12-10T01:59:36Z")
Inspired by the new Finnish Prime Minister, age 34. Britain and Canada don’t have age requirements. The US does (age 35). Others? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/2 "2019-12-10T02:23:45Z")
This might seem like a nitpick, but Britain and Canada do have age requirements: you can’t run for office unless you’re 18 years old. Same in quite a lot of other countries. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/3 "2019-12-10T02:43:30Z")
AFAIK, the only country which has requirements beyond “must be a legal adult” for elected office-holders is the US; it’s yet another way in which that country has the most complicated citizenship rules on Earth. In the case of monarchies, the monarch can accede to the throne without being of age, but will be under the tutoring of a regent or a regency commission. Spain has a requirement that elected officials be legal adults _at the time they take up duties_. This led to a record for youngest senator that will be hard to break: I can’t find his name with a quick google (I just get a bunch of articles about our current youngests), but we had one who was unable to vote for himself due to still being 17 on the day the vote took place. His candidacy had been contested but, as the law specifies “at the time they take up duties” and his birthday was to take place between the election and the swearing-in, the electoral commission said it was valid. We’ve had several more senators and members of (national and regional) parliament who were in their 20s; there’s several in the current batch. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/4 "2019-12-10T02:52:21Z")
Actually, a number of countries have higher age requirements for various positions, especially President or its equivalent. [Constitution of Ireland](http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/cons/en/html#article12_4_1): > [@](#): > > Every citizen who has reached his thirty-fifth year of age is eligible for election to the office of President. In Italy, [you have to be 50!](https://www.italymagazine.com/news/understanding-how-italy-elects-president-five-points) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/5 "2019-12-10T02:56:23Z")
Panama requires presidents and vice-presidents to be at least 35 and be born a Panamanian citizen. The recently elected president Nito Cortizo has proposed that presidents be limited to the ages of between 45 and 75. (Cortizo is 66.) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/6 "2019-12-10T02:58:56Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > This might seem like a nitpick, but Britain and Canada do have age requirements: you can’t run for office unless you’re 18 years old. Same in quite a lot of other countries. We don’t have an age requirement for head of state, but fair point for head of government. I should have said something like “higher than the general age of majority.” ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/7 "2019-12-10T03:00:24Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Actually, a number of countries have higher age requirements for various positions, especially President or its equivalent. > [Constitution of Ireland](http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/cons/en/html#article12_4_1):In Italy, [you have to be 50!](https://www.italymagazine.com/news/understanding-how-italy-elects-president-five-points) Is there an age requirement for election to the parliaments, other than general age of majority? Or specific age requirements for prime minister ? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/8 "2019-12-10T03:05:07Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > AFAIK, the only country which has requirements beyond “must be a legal adult” for elected office-holders is the US Actually, [quite a few countries have age requirements](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidential_qualifications_by_country) for president. The most common age requirement is 35, with the next most common 40. A few have 45 or 30, and France has 18. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/9 "2019-12-10T04:11:52Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Actually, [quite a few countries have age requirements](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidential_qualifications_by_country) for president. The most common age requirement is 35, with the next most common 40. A few have 45 or 30, and France has 18. Looking through that list, France is interesting in that it appears the be the only country that requires the president to have a bank account. I find little quirks like that fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/10 "2019-12-10T04:27:46Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > This might seem like a nitpick, but Britain and Canada do have age requirements: you can’t run for office unless you’re 18 years old. Same in quite a lot of other countries. The UK’s head of state is the monarch. It is possible for an infant to accede to the throne. It happened in the case of [Henry VI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VI_of_England), who came to the throne aged 9 months. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/11 "2019-12-10T04:28:51Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > Looking through that list, France is interesting in that it appears the be the only country that requires the president to have a bank account. I find little quirks like that fascinating. Argentina requires a president to have an annual income equal to 2,000 “strong pesos” per year. (This requirement appears to date to the 19th Century. At current exchange rates, 2,000 Argentine pesos are worth US$33.) The Philippines requires the president to be able to read and write, a detail overlooked by most other countries, including the US. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/12 "2019-12-10T05:51:44Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > Looking through that list, France is interesting in that it appears the be the only country that requires the president to have a bank account. I find little quirks like that fascinating. Slight hijack, but if you like little quirks like that, you may be interested in knowing that, in Canada, a Senator has to be at least $4000 on the plus side of the ledger: > [@](#): > > 1. The Qualifications of a Senator shall be as follows: > > . . . > > (4) His Real and Personal Property shall be together worth Four thousand Dollars over and above his Debts and Liabilities… Source: _Constitution Act_, 1867, 30 & 31 Victoria, c. 3 (U.K.). Read this section here: [https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/page-2.html](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/page-2.html). [end hijack] ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/13 "2019-12-10T05:59:43Z")
Strictly speaking, though the UK restricts the right to vote and to stand for election to Parliament to legal adults, there is no statute law on who can become Prime Minister, only custom, convention and whatever a majority of the House of Commons is prepared to vote for. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/14 "2019-12-10T06:11:16Z")
In the Kingdom of Thailand, an M.P. must be at least 25 years old, a Senator 40. A Minister (including the Prime Minister) must be at least 35 years old and have a Bachelor’s degree. This is according to the 2017 Constitution (the 19th constitution or charter since 1932). An M.P. may not be a narcotics addict nor convicted of narcotics trafficking, but no such prohibition is mentioned for Senators, Ministers, or Constitutional Court judges. An M.P. _must_ be a member of exactly one political party. A Senator must _not_ be a member of any political party. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/15 "2019-12-10T07:48:05Z")
South Africa doesn’t have any restrictions beyond voting-age citizen, AFAIK. That’s to be an MP, Parliament appoints the President. In theory, that could be a minor, I _guess_. I don’t know of any law against it. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/16 "2019-12-10T09:30:46Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > Strictly speaking, though the UK restricts the right to vote and to stand for election to Parliament to legal adults, there is no statute law on who can become Prime Minister, only custom, convention and whatever a majority of the House of Commons is prepared to vote for. To expand on that: Nothing in our \*unwritten \*consitution says that a member of the government has to be a Member of either House. This would also apply to the head of the government; all they have to be is in a position to command a majority in the House of Commons. Of course, as everyone knows, William Pitt the Younger became the youngest ever Prime Minister of _Great Britain_ in 1783 at the age of 24 and the first Prime Minister of the _United Kingdom_ as of January 1801. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/17 "2019-12-10T10:14:45Z")
The Federal President of Germany (which is mostly a representative position, but officially the head of state) has to be at least 40 years old. There’s no such restriction for the Federal Chancellor who is the real head of government other than he/she has to be a German adult (18+) citizen. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/18 "2019-12-10T10:26:47Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > The UK’s head of state is the monarch. It is possible for an infant to accede to the throne. It happened in the case of [Henry VI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VI_of_England), who came to the throne aged 9 months. Pah! Mary Stewart was 6 days old when she became Queen. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/19 "2019-12-10T12:28:11Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > The UK’s head of state is the monarch. It is possible for an infant to accede to the throne. It happened in the case of [Henry VI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VI_of_England), who came to the throne aged 9 months. Well aware of that. I’m also aware that the title of the thread specifies “head of state / head of government.” ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629/20 "2019-12-10T12:28:21Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > The Philippines requires the president to be able to read and write, a detail overlooked by most other countries, including the US. This is, in fact, a requirement for all our elected officials, either constitutionally for the national legislature and executive or as defined by the Local Government Code. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-age-requirements-for-their-head-of-state-head-of-government/844629.md?page=2)